13 Angry Men
by danceyrselfclean
Summary: They'll shorten their careers, pay any price, do whatever it takes. And then there's Santino. 13 ficlets about 13 men willing to go through hell and back for the honor of being called world champion. Formerly "Ready to Start." For Elimination Chamber 2012
1. Forget

**_- Forget -_**

See how easily they forget.

It's all a laugh, of course. Just one big practical joke being played on you, as if your talents are something that could ever be forgotten. Are they mental? Did they get struck on the head and get amnesia?

But it's plain to see the stigma is still there, ingrained in their shallow little minds. Even when you're battering your opponent and proving your incredible skillset in front of millions, they're stuck in their rubbish ways. Really, honestly, look into their eyes and you'll know what they believe to be true.

See how easily they believe that Wade Barrett is nothing without the Nexus.

It's common perception around these parts. And admittedly, that Nexus pack mentality helped you reach heights you never would have attained on your own so soon. You were good already, but when it came to competing with the Orton's and Cena's of the world? Especially during your rookie year? You needed help. So you went out. You got it. And suddenly that relative unknown, that NXT winner, that leader of the Nexus - Wade Barrett - suddenly put the world on notice.

So yes, you owe quite a bit of your early success to them. But truthfully, those seven owe you so much more.

Because the fact of the matter is that the Nexus was nothing without Wade Barrett.

It was you who started it - you who brought all seven of those talents together, you who harnessed their skills and turned them into a force to be reckoned with.

Your initiative and guidance gave them the motivation to go out there and take what they wanted no matter what. You gave them all the tools to succeed in this business, only asking for their support in return. And if their careers failed after Nexus broke up, they can only blame themselves. After all, you made something out of yourself, so why couldn't they?

These days, some of your former Nexus teammates are still with the company, some of them aren't - one of them is holding the same world title you're fighting for - but at the end of the day, they're but specks of dust on the winds of change you created.

Yes, it was all you. You brought the youth movement to the forefront and turned the main event scene on its very head. And look how much you've changed in the process as a result.

My, how you've grown.

Because you know damn well that you can hang with the best of the best now, no back-up needed. It's a good thing, considering you'll be facing the very best Smackdown has to offer inside one of the most violent environments this sport has ever seen. Any normal man would weep thinking about those kind of circumstances, but you're confident. As if anybody can stop you anyway. That awkward ogre Khali or pretty face Rhodes? Please. Big Show? He'll soon learn how a real punch is thrown. Daniel Bryan? You've beaten that pale pipsqueak more times than you can count.

And Randy Orton?

Perhaps you underestimated his resilience. He wasn't supposed to come back.

But when the time comes, you'll be glad to display your dominance as you punch his lights out, slam him into the glass pods, and then hurl his body down onto the cold, hard steel. You'll leave him beaten and helpless. And when all that's left inside that chamber is a wasteland of broken bodies, and you're the only man left standing, there will be no more doubt.

For once you become the World Heavyweight Champion - and hopefully put that snake on the shelf for good while you're at it - they'll see the light. They'll understand.

See how easily they forget Wade Barrett then.

_**- Wade Barrett -**_

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><p><strong>AN: **For all new readers: I explain the Randy Orton/Santino Marella situation in chapter four.

The elimination chamber is possibly my favorite gimmick match, and I wanted to write a short piece for each of the wrestlers involved. I'm hoping to do two a day, although really that doesn't matter as much as getting all twelve done before the pay-per-view.

I'll be changing the listed main characters with every update, so don't be surprised if the story doesn't show up under a searched character in the end (unless you're looking up one of the final two ficlet subjects).

Thanks for reading. Reviews would be much appreciated. Next chapter: _Leap._


	2. Leap

_**- Leap -**_

For the past few years, you've been standing at the edge.

That's your current career in a nutshell, really. One man standing at the precipice of something great. And off in the distance, you can see exactly where you want your career to end up. All you need to do is clear the distance, jump the gap, and you'll be there.

If only the gap wasn't so big.

In your head, you've always imagined a giant canyon. You fight your way to the very top of one cliff, then turn and stare at the other. For over on the other cliff lies the main event: the home of the future legends of the business, the very best superstars of the current generation. That's the home of the world champions. It's your ultimate destination - it's the destination of every other wrestler in the back, really. Part of you feels privileged to have even made it to the top of the first cliff.

But another part of you believes it's downright torture to be so close and yet so far.

How many times have you jumped? How many times have you tried to break that glass ceiling?

Because that's how many times you've failed.

Every time you fall just short, it feels like you're falling down that canyon. And when you realize just how close you came, when you hit rock bottom, it hurts. It hurts more than any pain you've ever felt in the ring.

Still you pick yourself back up and start climbing again. You concentrate on building yourself up for the next attempt - go for the Tag Team or United States Championship in the meantime, just to keep up prestige and motivation. And when you finally reach the top and they give you another shot at the big time, what does it lead to?

Another failure.

Another group of wrestling fans and critics alike asking the same question: when will Kofi Kingston finally get over that hump?

You're content with being another promising young gun on the verge of the main event for now. You can put on that smile, do the thunderclap, and be happy with where you are. But for how much longer?

As patient as you've been, time flies fast. Hell, with your wrestling style, it probably flies faster than your Air Boom partner does, and in pro wrestling, time is your biggest rival of all. You high fliers and risk takers can be explosive and exciting and breathtaking and hard to stop, but every match and missed opportunity eventually wear down your best weapons.

And no opportunity can break your body down more than the elimination chamber.

Every time you take to the sky, it's a chance to take a fellow competitor out and get one step closer to your dream. But one mistake near that unforgiving metal floor or a bad jump from the top of the pods, and it'll end your night - maybe even your career.

Honestly, there's a moment of doubt. This kind of environment can make you second guess every single leap.

Then again, that kind of thinking can cost you a match just as badly, and you've never applied that mindset either.

Inside the squared circle, you've always relied on feeling the flow and letting instinct take over. You set a fast pace, shock an opponent with a surprise move, and dare to take risks nobody else will. Everything's based on making your opponent second guess and make mistakes, so why should you do the same?

You can't pass this up, in the end.

The source of all your biggest hopes and dreams rests around CM Punk's waist. Even though you know from experience that you'll never be the same after this match, you'll take any chance you can get for that belt.

All you can really do now is perform your best, hope every risk pays off, and pray that gap gets a little bit smaller with every second you spend in the chamber. And if the time comes where you're this close to the other side, where all it takes is one last desperation leap to make it, your gut and your heart - your instinct - will tell you exactly what to do.

You'll jump.

_**- Kofi Kingston -**_

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><p><strong>AN:** I'll be changing the listed main characters with every update, so don't be surprised if the story doesn't show up under a searched character in the end (unless you're looking up one of the final two ficlet subjects).

Thanks for reading. Reviews are much appreciated. Next chapter: _Stop._


	3. Stop

**- Stop -**

You've created a monster.

Quite an odd thing to say, really, considering you're all of seven feet and four hundred and forty-one pounds; they don't call you the Big Show for nothin'. But yes indeed, you've most certainly created a bonafide monster.

His name is Daniel Bryan: submission specialist, vegan, World Heavyweight Champion, and - as of TLC - one arrogant little prick.

It was easy to see why everyone in the back was so high on him, at first. Humble, hard working, experienced. The type of fighter who couldn't get a foot in the door based on his physical merits - not like you honestly did - so instead he learned and learned and worked and worked and worked. And eventually, he improved to the point where he could let his skills do all the talking. Thus, when Mark Henry started targeting him for a spot in the hall of pain, you quickly took him under your wing.

You protected him, encouraged him, and in return, he gave you a weapon to use against the World's Strongest Man. That briefcase started everything. And you, you planted the idea of using the Money in the Bank inside his head. It was all you.

No surprise, then, when he finally took that opportunity. But you expected him to cash in and give big bad Mark his comeuppance, not end your your stay at the top of the mountain before it even began.

Nine years without a world title. You didn't even get the hold the belt in your hands for more than twenty seconds.

Yet even then, it didn't feel like a betrayal. He deserved it, fair and square, after all.

But now you look, and it's clear that the World Heavyweight Championship has changed him. That endearing humbleness, that bright-eyed striving to climb to the top: everything you liked about Daniel Bryan has hidden itself deep within his psyche, and replaced with the constant celebrations of a manipulative, egomaniacal jackass.

No, the cashing in wasn't a betrayal.

The look in his eye when he calls you a freak and tells you to retire for something as simple as an accident? That's betrayal.

And that scheming look he gives you with his arm firmly grasped around AJ's shoulders - that poor, sweet, lovestruck girl - it takes every muscle in your body to stop your right hand from knocking that grin right off his face.

He'll get his though. Years of experience tell you that. They all get their comeuppance in the end. And if you find yourself face-to-face with Daniel inside the elimination chamber, you know it will come sooner rather than later. You might not win, it's only a one in six chance, but no matter what, you don't want that title around his waist any longer.

You're not to blame, in the end. He's the one who got caught up in world title glory, he's the one who let the gold get to his head. He shouldn't be your responsibility. But when it's all said and done, he's seemingly made it his personal mission to get under your skin.

Now it's your personal mission to stop his world title reign. Your responsibility to stop the pompous, pretentious drivel coming out his mouth.

Lucky then that this match is inside the elimination chamber; there's no better way to beat some humbleness back into him. He can complain about animal cruelty until he's blue in the face, but he won't understand how cruel life can be until he finds your mitts wrapped around his neck. Plus, the chance to win back the world title AND hold it for more than twenty seconds? Icing on the cake. Oh yes, this Sunday, you'll be stopping many things, but in the long run, you'll be happiest to stop looking at your shoulder and not seeing a big, shiny piece of congratulatory hardware there.

And if all else fails, after the pay-per-view, you can always just tip over Daniel's Prius.

_**- The Big Show -**_

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><p>AN: I'll be changing the listed main characters with every update, so don't be surprised if the story doesn't show up under a searched character in the end (unless you're looking up one of the final two ficlet subjects). I think this is the final time I'll be saying this.

Thanks for reading. Reviews are not only encouraged, they're allowed. Next chapter: _Show._


	4. Show

**_- Show_ -**

If you look up the definition of the word "perfection" in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of Dolph Ziggler.

After all, you did literally tape the picture in all of your house's dictionaries (with each corner at a perfect right angle, you'd like to note). It's an excellent tool for when you need just enough motivation to do that extra set of crunches; although, just looking in the mirror can do that too.

For you, keeping yourself the most athletically gifted specimen just comes naturally.

And it isn't enough for you to only have the perfect body, oh no. Because inside the ring, there's no one better, no one more talented, no one who can give these people their money's worth and show off every fine tuned talent better than you can. Hell, you can lose a match and nobody can look better losing than you; not that you lose all that often. And those boos? Just jealousy at its finest. As far as you're concerned, they can spout those insults and call you names as much as they want. Unlike you, they can't back it up.

It's a privilege to watch you perform.

You know it.

They know it.

Everyone in the world knows it.

Go to the papers and print it, it's a fact. Then when the buyrates come in, and it turns out to be the highest in years, everyone knows it will be because the WWE universe wanted to see your coronation as the top star in professional wrestling.

Yes, life is good.

You have the perfect manager - the lovely Vickie Guerrero - the perfect stablemate - current United States Champion Jack Swagger - and now you've got the perfect opportunity to show the world why you're clearly the best when you outlast five other wrestlers inside the elimination chamber.

Looking at the competition, how can you not win? You're facing four inferior wrestlers and one inferior escaped mental patient.

Those five men, they're little stars. You, you're a big star. You shine. You're a supernova, blinding and bright.

Hell, they could make you start the match, and it would be all the more impressive when you win the WWE Championship going coast to coast. It doesn't matter, because as tough as this fight will be, you're not afraid of anything. When you're this damn good, fear does not exist. You won't be intimidated since you'll rise up to any challenge they decide to throw at you, and you'll look damn good doing it.

You hear all the talk of course. "You'll never be the same," they say. That the elimination chamber is two miles and ten tons of soulless steel. They honestly believe that the greatest natural athlete of this era can't handle this kind of environment.

You can't wait to show the world exactly why they're wrong.

There is no match you can't handle, no superstar you can't defeat. It may be your first time inside the so-called Satan's structure, but there's no chance you'll be anything other than perfect. That's just the way Dolph Ziggler operates. And with ol' HBK looking exactly that - old - it's time for a new show stopper to earn their stripes, and there's no better showcase to put in your resume for that position than this very match.

You'll show off, hopefully slam R-Truth's head onto the floor so hard that he actually starts making sense, survive the match, and then you'll walk into Wrestlemania with the world's most famous title to show how all that hard work and effort paid off.

So with the world title on the line and millions watching around the world, when people place their bets for the next world champion, if they don't want to lose all their money, they better put it all on Dolph Ziggler.

Enough talk. Time for you to back it up.

#Heel.

_**- Dolph Ziggler -**_

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><p><strong>AN: **I changed the name of the story, if you can't tell, because my need to make a perfect title reference outweighed my need to make an only decent reference to an Arcade Fire song.

Fun fact: A bit of the inspiration for this chapter totally came as a result of watching "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast.

Concerning Randy Orton's injury and removal from Elimination Chamber: I'll stick with writing his chapter as if he was still in it, just because I don't want to let what I've already written in my head go to waste. I currently plan to write an extra chapter for** *spoiler alert*** _Santino_ (though I already spoiled it in the summary and WWE already spoiled it on the site), but considering how much time is left before the event, I may only get it out by the skin of my teeth.

Thanks for reading. Reviews are not only encouraged, they're allowed. Next chapter: _Understand._


	5. Understand

_**- Understand -**_

There is not much to say. You believe it is for the best. It is better they believe you are a monster, rather than a mere human being.

So it is better than they do not understand you, understand your emotions underneath.

Because what they do not understand, they fear.

And what they fear is you.

Then they look for weaknesses. Cracks in the armor of an man who looks down upon them, upon the world, with a different set of eyes.

Some of them try to comfort themselves then by believing you are not intelligent. Just because you are a giant and do not speak their language well, they believe you think as slow as your feet move. One cannot have both brains and brawn, they tell themselves. They are wrong, of course, but they cannot know. It is better that they underestimated your insides, since no one underestimates your outsides.

You are smart enough to know that you deserve the nickname "great."

It is easy enough to understand why.

To be great is to be large. You are a giant, a warrior taller than anyone else in the company. You tower over people and you frighten them.

You hurt them. You injure them. You make them stay down with your strength.

This is your job. You understand yourself, and your strengths, and your advantages.

As a result, you have accomplished many great things, and you think those accomplishments are a part of you. So you do not have to stretch your mind that far to know that you are great.

Yet you have not accomplished enough, you know. To have only one championship to your name, with your advantages, is a disgrace.

Worse yet, you do not understand why this is so. You cannot see why success has hidden itself from your view, when you are supposed to see everything at such a great height. And because you do not understand, you fear the reasons why.

Worst of all, you do understand there is not much time left.

Giants are difficult to beat. Giants awe the people. But giants do not last long. For giants fight hard and fall hardest.

Soon, the window will close. You will lose strength and your body will ache. Life in the WWE will be difficult to continue, even though there is still so much to be done.

At your size, you are slow. It is a weakness you must overcome. But if you wish to accomplish more, you will need to start your reign quickly.

You must conquer the elimination chamber. You must become champion again. You must stand above the five other men and force them to tremble under your gaze and cower at your might; you must be great once more. For once you see the fear in their eyes, the match will be over before it had even begun.

And as each one of your roars sends a shiver down their spine, perhaps you begin to understand.

It is not enough for them to just believe you are a monster, no. You must become the monstrosity they believe you to be.

Inside the chamber, if you wish to remain great, you must release the monster within.

_**- The Great Khali -**_

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><p>This one will definitely be the shortest one I'll write, but also the hardest and the one I had the least amount of time for. I'll have to write faster today with the login problems mucking up my writing yesterday.<p>

Thanks for reading. Reviews are not only encouraged, they're allowed. Next chapter: _Awesome._


	6. Awesome

_**- Awesome -**_

Haters gonna hate; that's not a hard idea to grasp, is it?

Not everyone was going to like you, you knew right off the bat. It happens to anybody who becomes famous. But you weren't prepared for the sheer amount of hatred and revulsion that came your way.

The moment you walked into this company, these people wanted you to turn around and walk right back through that door. Apparently, they didn't want some reality television star taking away TV time from other talents. Oh, how that would have pleased them to watch you leave. How happy they would have been telling you not to let the door hit your ass on the way out.

It took a while. But you started climbing your way up the moment you decided, "the hell with them." As one would joke, you stopped being polite, and started getting real.

With every passing day, you improved more and more, becoming evident with multiple success in the tag team and United States championship divisions.

Still, they booed.

Then, you climbed two different ladders - one literal, one metaphorical - and stood at the very top with the Money in the Bank.

And they hated your guts for it.

But when you finally won that WWE Championship and then successfully retained the belt against the so-called face of this generation in the main event of Wrestlemania, you thought that you had finally shut them up.

You were wrong.

Some things never change.

In fact, they hated you even more afterwards, because then you reminded them of everything they'd never have. The clothes, the cars, the girl – and most importantly – that world title which so perfectly fit around your waist. It's just like them to be jealous. See, you actually fulfilled your lifelong dream, while the only time they'll ever do so is in their dreams.

You didn't let them get you down though. Not then, and certainly not now.

They want you to shut up? Fat chance. If they think you're going to shut up any time soon, they have another thing coming. They want you to stop wrestling? All the more motivation to beat every single one of their precious fan favorites.

But some things do change.

Like the fact that you are no longer WWE Champion.

So at Elimination Chamber, you'd like to rectify that. It's a matter of pride, maybe, or perhaps it's a matter of jealousy.

You hear all of these stories about the other competitors: how CM Punk toiled away, perfecting his craft in the minor leagues; how Chris Jericho originated every single idea in this business as one of the last members of a bygone era; or how R-Truth sails a pirate ship full of rainbow dreams to work everyday.

And much like they thought you stole attention away from those who "deserved it," it's clear that they're stealing attention away from someone who deserves all of it.

Every single eye in that arena should be fixed on you. Always.

You were the most must-see WWE Champion in all of history. Even while they hated your guts, they tuned in to see another sadsack test their luck against the almighty Miz. They wanted to see you get beat, but you refused to be defeated. You wouldn't give them the satisfaction. For you had more attitude than your Rock's or your Austin's, your persona was more entertaining than your Hogan's or Flairs, and you were a greater champion than Bruno "eight year" Sammartino himself. Like all of them, once you got a taste of the gold, all you knew is you wanted more of it. And once you main evented Wrestlemania, it became clear that you wanted to do this every single year.

So here's your chance. The world will be watching when you enter your first elimination chamber, and once that pod opens, it will be time to put up or shut up. And as you said, it'll be a very long time before the Miz ever shuts up.

It doesn't matter what kind of hell you'll be put through inside that steel beast. Going through the chamber will be worth it for that brief moment when you silence your critics and then hold up the world title for all to see.

And when the crowd starts back up again, screaming for your head and pleading for anybody to come out and stop this madness, you'll laugh in each and every one of their faces.

"Told you so," you'll tell them. "Be jealous," you'll say.

Be jealous, because they're not the Miz.

Be jealous, because they're not WWE Champion.

Be jealous, because they'll never, ever, be awesome.

_**- The Miz**_** -**

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><p>AN: I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter posted today, and a head start on the next two.

Thanks for reading. Reviews are not only encouraged, they're allowed. Next chapter: _Face._


	7. Face

_**- Face -**_

The prettiest people do the ugliest things.

Perhaps that's true. You may have a million dollar smile and dashing good looks. But you're not a saint, and you've never claimed to be one. And as pretty as you are, both in your interior and exterior, it doesn't erase the fact that you will do some very ugly things if it means getting ahead in this business.

But one thing you know to be true is that the inverse isn't very true at all.

You peer out at the sold-out crowds at every WWE event, and you take a look at all of the boys in the back. And it's so very clear they're all filled with such ugliness inside. The self-loathing and self-hatred inside these individuals is overwhelming. They are the ugly ones. They are the freaks. Really, they're the ones who should be charging admission for allowing you and all the pretty ones to line up every night and see the freak show on display.

But unlike you, they'll never achieve anything worth noting, nor will they have any "pretty things" to their name.

What they do have, however, is the opportunity to watch the rise of a man who will restore honor to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Already, you've done so with the Intercontinental Championship. By bringing the title back to its roots with the classic design and successfully holding the belt for over six months, you have outshined some of the best and brightest of the former champions.

No one holds a candle to you.

So with this opportunity at Elimination Chamber, you can kill two birds with one stone.

If you win the World Heavyweight Championship, you can join the Ultimate Warrior and Triple H by becoming the only three men who have held the honor of simultaneously wearing Intercontinental gold and a world title. Very prestigious company indeed. But you'll do them one better.

Both men gave up their Intercontinental titles after winning the world title. While they were forced to vacate, you can tell in their eyes, they would've done so anyway. For Warrior and Triple H would have wanted to put all their focus on defending their precious world title. But you, you know what you're capable of. And if you win the elimination chamber, that would be the moment you know you'll be more than worthy of defending both titles.

Anytime, anywhere.

And at the end of the road, at Wrestlemania, when the world tunes in to see John Cena and the Rock square off, they'll also see another man. They'll see you restore prestige to not only both belts, but also the Rhodes family legacy that your brother destroyed under the reviled name "Goldust," with your successful defenses.

They'll watch in awe, in wonder, in amazement. For once, they'll forget about all of their ugliness inside, just to catch a glimpse of greatness passing by on their television screens.

If John Cena wins his match, it will supposedly cement his status as the star of this generation.

But in reality, it won't.

Because when Cody Rhodes, the dual champion, the heir to the Rhodes family throne, steals the show from the battle of the eras, the world will have no choice but to proclaim you as the greatest of the great, the shining star of the current crop of talent. You may have shared the name "Legacy" with an Orton and a Dibiase, but it will be a Rhodes whose legacy will transcend all of sports entertainment.

You will be the new face of professional wrestling.

All it takes is one victory inside that demonic structure. And if you must perform every ugly action you can think of to win that match, you'll do it.

As the hungriest dog in the fight, you will rip and tear and claw, and they will look just as awful as they feel.

No matter what, you're walking out of the event wearing two sets of hardware.

You'll even take another injury to the face. If becoming ugly and grotesque and disfigured on the outside - just they all are on the inside - if that's what it takes to become World Heavyweight Champion, you will gladly do it. Because those two belts will make up for it. Your ugly exterior will mean nothing if your interior is glowing with the knowledge that you have reached the top.

You will allow your face to be damaged beyond repair if it means you'll end up the face of the WWE.

And whether or not your dashing good looks still exist at the end of the bloody battle which is sure to take place, the one true beautiful thing that you know will exist inside that arena will be the image of Cody Rhodes, victorious.

It will be the prettiest sight of all.

_**- Cody Rhodes -**_

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading. Reviews are not only encouraged, they're allowed. Next chapter:_ Spiders._


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